Attack on Giant Monsters: Side Story Sketches
by Hikaru7
Summary: Side stories for AoGM. Story 01: Seven At One Blow - The Brave Little Soldier vs. The Giant Moth
1. Seven

**AoGM Side Story Sketches**

 _ **Trost Training School Adventures: 89th Trainee Class**_

 _ **Nanaba & Tattery**_

 _That day, the young girl received a grim reminder…_

She heard something making a terrible noise on the other side, but could not imagine what was making such clamour, until she opened the door to a crack, and saw 'them'.

… _that 'home' wouldn't be what it used to be anymore…_

With terror in her eyes, she beheld a horrible feast, faces dripping with a thick liquid, many eyes glinting with a mixture of hunger and glee.

… _that she would have to share, and live in her worst nightmare..._

Of the invading creatures, she counted seven, and so found herself greatly outnumbered.

… _or learn how to fight, and claim what's hers by right._

Up in a dark corner, her eyes met an intense, blazing orange gaze, and finally a scream broke free from her throat, before she slammed the door shut again, collapsing against the wall in shivers.

* * *

 _The Trost Training School. This is where young boys and girls aspiring to tame creatures known for their unusual magical powers receive their education and training. It is nothing like an ordinary school..._

* * *

 **Seven At One Blow**

 **The Brave Little Soldier vs. The Giant Moth**

During the span of the seven years she had been living in that world, Nanaba had never known a moment not spent in terror of any creature even remotely resembling a bug. And so, it is no great riddle what, apart from the pangs of homesickness, could make her very first day at Trost Training School so horribly memorable.

If having to move far away from her hometown and into the boarding school of a bustling big city was not bad enough in itself, then having to inhabit a room taken over by a whole _horde_ of bugs was reason enough for her to curl up and cry.

To add to her misery, her fighting-type partner, Hokori had been taken from her to be examined, and all the other girls seemed to be out of the dorm. Surely, she could not face the monsters all on her own…

And so she was sitting at the foot of the wall, knees drawn up to her chin and body still trembling with the shock of what she had just witnessed: wide wings and great horns, many scampering legs, and _eyes_. Oh, those terrible eyes! Those would keep her awake for nights, only Nanaba wasn't sure anymore whether there was a chance for her to spend the night in the comforts of a bed.

She hugged her bag close to her chest. The journey she had had to take from the far Northern border had taken its toll on her, and in spite of riding day and night in order to arrive at Trost, she had already been a day too late, and had missed the opening ceremony for the school year. Therefore, she was in no position to be picky about her accommodations – she had got what room had been left for her. But had she no choice concerning her company? There was no way she could move in with such terrible creatures…

With quiet sobs, she was lamenting her misfortune, when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps down the corridor. She looked up and saw that it was a boy, absorbed in looking at a crumpled paper note. A creature like a small teddy bear was padding after him, carrying a book.

"This map is just like her," the boy remarked to his companion with a frown. "A complete mess."

He looked up from the paper just when Nanaba finished wiping away the last teardrop from her face, seeing that the boy was about her own age, tall and handsome, with blond hair and eyes a shade of cold blue, but the expression he wore was open and warm. With newfound hope, Nanaba dared to believe that her situation might not be so dire, after all.

"Hello. Do you happen to know…" The boy's voice trailed off as he looked at the door just opposite her, then laughed. It was a pleasant sound. "She really made sure we wouldn't miss the mark," he said, pointing out the Ring Target hung on the door.

In her earlier fright, Nanaba hadn't even noticed it, and now watched with renewed apprehension as the boy approached the door. When she realized that he was about to open it, she was quick to spring to her feet and stop him.

"Wait!" she called in a nervous voice. "You can't just go in there!"

"You're right," the boy turned to her with a friendly smile. "I almost forgot about manners. Since it's the girls' wing, I shouldn't just let myself in without knocking first, right?"

The small bear nodded in approval, and the boy lifted a fist to the door.

"N-No, that's not what I meant…!" Nanaba stammered, paling at the prospect of having the door opened to that scene of horror again. "There's a Giant in there!"

"A Giant?"

He appeared incredulous, so Nanaba thought it was better to explain, "There are at least seven creatures, but one is as big as all the rest of them together, and it took up residence right above my bed."

"I see. So that's why you were sitting outside on the corridor."  
Nanaba blushed, ashamed.

"Well, Giant or not, it is your room. You should take it back."

The way he made it sound so simple made Nanaba even more ashamed of herself.

"I can't," she said in a faint whisper. "Hokori is still with the Head Nurse, and I'm afraid of bugs."

Nanaba braced herself for the inevitable, expecting to hear scornful laughter, but it never came. Instead, the boy remained in thoughtful silence.

"How about we take a quick look in, then devise a plan?" he suggested after a while.

Nanaba nodded slowly, not wanting to make the impression of being that much of a coward. Heart thumping against her chest, she watched as the boy reached for the handle and pushed down, slowly opening up the door and poking his head in, then withdrawing and closing it again.

"It is indeed seven," he said with a solemn frown. "And we are only three."

Nanaba gave a sigh, which came out more like a sob, and she regretted it immediately.

"Still, we might have a chance," the boy continued. "If we can gather out wits, we might not have to use our fists to win this fight."

"How?" Now it was Nanaba looking at the boy with incredulous eyes.

"I think I have a plan," he replied after a while. "I'll go in, and talk to them."

"What?"

"If it won't work out, then…" From his pocket, he produced an orb, and Nanaba could see some ominous pale purple gas swirling in it. "We can use this Smoke Ball to make our escape. What do you think?"

Honestly? Nanaba was experiencing a curious mixture of emotions: she was afraid, awed, and anticipant at the same time.

"What should I do?" she asked, fidgeting with the straps of her bag.

"Just back up whatever I say," the boy told her with a confident smile, then opened the door, and stepped right inside.

Being on full display, the place appeared to be in an even more terrible state of mess – nothing short of a battlefield. The floorboards were covered in some shiny, sticky substance, and there were empty glass jars scattered all around the room. Nanaba was lingering in the doorway, not daring to take a step over the threshold.

But the boy walked further in, ignoring the thing sticking to the sole of his boots and the creatures sprawled content and sated on the floor. He went to stand beside the bed, looking up directly at the enormous Moth. And then, incredible as it was, he began talking to the creature.

"Good day to you, Mr Moth," he said.

A look of hostility flared up in the orange eyes.

"What fine company you have here," the boy went on in the same calm tone, choosing his words to sound as polite as if he were talking to an actual person. "Your kinfolk, perhaps?"

The Moth didn't as much as bat a wing, but continued to glare down at the boy. When Nanaba ventured a few steps inside in order to have a better look at his profile, she could see determination glinting in the cold blue eyes, matching the creature's steadfast gaze.

"Well, I'm sorry to intrude on your afternoon tea. I only came here to give you a word of warning."

The look in the creatures' eyes was contemptuous now, but the boy wasn't the least deterred.

"Or didn't you know?" His voice sounded genuinely surprised, but then it became rather grim as he gestured around the room, "This here is the abode of a horrible Giantess about this tall…"

The hand he raised to indicate her height barely reached above his chest, but he quickly thought twice about it, and brought his hand high above his head.

"Her eyes are as sharp as blades: with a single glance, she can easily slice you up to pieces," the boy went on. "The hair is sticking out from her head in all directions, like raging white flames: one touch, and she can burn you to cinders. Have you ever seen a Scareglow? Well, she's even more terrible, and she can summon a whole horde of them."

The look in the creatures' eyes finally became wary.

"And when she's especially furious, the Giantess advances with such mighty stomps she could even crush the iron-clad beasts underfoot. What are a couple of bugs to her?" He waved at them dismissively, then gestured at the empty jars. "But rather than swatting you flat, she'd lay a trap: she keeps all those Honey to lure you in, fatten and sweeten you, then devour you in whole!"

The boy turned to his companion, startling the small bear who was about to reach out for some leftovers.

"Right, Bruhn?" he asked, his tone sharp.

"Everything he says is true!" Nanaba added, wanting to be useful. "She… She's quite horrible!"

"So, I'd recommend you all remove yourselves from this chamber, and never return, for who knows what might become of you, once the Giantess finds you here," the boy said in a solemn voice, and the creatures seemed as if they were considering his words. "Think about the safety of your dear family, Mr Moth. You don't want them to be eaten, do you?"

That seemed to have done the trick. One by one, the bug-creatures crawled and scampered out of the open window, the Giant Moth fluttering out last, but before flying away, it turned back to bestow a last glance upon them. Nanaba didn't know whether it was only a trick of the afternoon light, but she though the look in the orange eyes seemed less threatening.

The boy heaved a sigh, then collapsed down on the bed opposite to Nanaba's.

"I'm feeling totally ridiculous now…" he murmured, burying his face in his palms, before letting them fall onto his lap.

"You… You're awesome!" Nanaba burst out in admiration. "You actually managed to make them all leave, just by talking to them! How…?"

"Please, let it be our secret," the boy turned to her with a strained smile, then looked at his feet again, his voice quieter and less sure than before. "Don' tell anyone I was talking to the creatures…"

"But why?" Nanaba blinked at him, perplexed by the request. She couldn't see it, but the boy was rather embarrassed.

"I just don't want them to know," he replied. "Especially 'her'."

His gaze wandered around the room, finding rest on a pale pink bag dumped at the foot of the bed, its contents turned out and scattered on the floor. There was a strange smile on his lips.

"Oh, all right," Nanaba said, shifting a bit on her feet in excitement, and she couldn't stop herself from gushing, "But still, you're so clever and brave! I don't think I've ever met anyone who would just march up to a Giant and scare it off like that!"

"Well… I don't think it was really a Giant," the boy said with a nervous laugh.

"Still, I don't know how to thank you enough!" Nanaba went on, skipping to her bed and looking up at the empty space which was previously occupied by the Moth and its companions. "Now I can sleep in peace…"

Her eyes followed a shiny trail down the wall, making a small pool on the bed. She gave a sigh of dismay and disgust.

"…on sticky sheets? Seriously, what a mess my roommate has made! She has absolutely no foresight, bringing Honey in here and leaving the window wide open, attracting all those bugs!"

"I'm afraid she's not the type who would turn things carefully around in her head," the boy said.

"Do you know her?" Nanaba paled, realizing that she wasn't really thinking, either, while she was grumbling so outspokenly before. She might have made some wretched first impression now, if her earlier display of wimpiness weren't enough.

"I do," the boy replied, taking the book from his companion's sticky paws. It was a smile rather than a grimace pulling at his lips.

"What is she like?" Nanaba cautiously asked.

"Every bit as I described," the boy said, cleaning the book with a handkerchief, then placing it on a clean spot on the bed. He stood up, apparently preparing to leave. "Would you tell her that I brought the book she forgot? She's a real scatterbrain, but I'm afraid I won't be allowed to visit the girls' wing each time she forgets about her belongings."

"That… I'm sorry to hear," Nanaba said, feeling genuinely disappointed, but the boy was laughing again.

"I'm sure you're not the only one," he said, trying to pry a half-empty jar from the small teddy's paws, before steering it out of the door. It looked rather disappointed, too.

"By the way," the boy poked his blond head back in. "I don't think I've seen you at the opening ceremony. I'm in the Southern Dorm, 89th Trainee Class. My name's Erwin. Yours?"

"N-Nanaba," she replied, pleased to learn that they were in the same dorm. "89th Trainee Class, too."

"Good to hear that," Erwin grinned. "Bad news, we got Shadis as our Head Instructor. They say that between meals, he snacks on trainees."

"Oh," Nanaba gasped.

"Well, see you at dinner, I guess."

After all that had just happened to her, Nanaba wasn't feeling particularly hungry. Still, she found herself looking forward to dinner…

~7~

Even though she had made a promise to keep it secret, Nanaba couldn't help but share the incredible story of how the boy called Erwin took care of seven bugs with one sweep. Although she avoided mentioning the truthful details, she did tell the tale to Anka, the first girl she made friends with that afternoon. And Anka was likewise astonished by the feat, and so when she ran into Gustav in the gardens, she told him, too, how Erwin defeated seven at one blow. And even though he didn't believe a world, thinking that girls had quite fanciful imaginations, he still passed the story down to Mitabi, who would later tell it to Ian when the two of them were walking along the battlement, and then Ian asked Mike whether he knew already that his friend was rumoured to be a Giant-killer who made seven fall all on his own. And Mike laughed heartily at that, then went to amuse Ilse with the story, adding whatever his imagination provided. And when Ilse sneaked into the kitchen, she let it all known to a certain someone, who didn't like the story at all…

And so it happened that by dinnertime, all but a few were already acquainted with one or other version of the strange story, and more and more trainees came looking for Nanaba, each wanting to know which was the truth, and if possible, wring further details out of her.

Being in the spotlight and surrounded by a tight circle of her peers, Nanaba was feeling more self-conscious than ever before, However, she did not want to disappoint her eager-looking audience, so she told them over dinner how Erwin was so strong and brave as to be able to defeat seven horrible monsters with his own two hands.

By the end of her tale, she had gotten quite used to the company, and the many faces turned towards her didn't bother her anymore. Rather, she found she quite liked the attention she received – earlier, she had been worried about making friends in her new school, but now the thought didn't bother her anymore. The story captured everyone's imagination, and all seemed equally enthusiastic about it.

All but one…

A boy with dark hair and eyes, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses to give him an even more serious look, was sitting straight-backed and silent at a separate table during the whole meal, trying to cut up his piece of stake, only to find it quite impossible as it was more than just a bit undercooked.

"The only day we get to eat meat, and they spoil it all." He pushed his plate away with disgust. "Remind me to send a complaint to the kitchen staff."

His partner was sitting at his elbow, an azure-blue creature with a single horn on its head, large spiny ears perked up as it noticed its master's interest shifting to the noisy gathering opposite.

"I don't believe a word of it," the boy spoke out loud to them.

His voice alone was enough for Nanaba's high spirits to evaporate into thin air. She watched him pushing back his chair and approaching her table, his deep-dark eyes singling her out with a look of apparent disdain.

"There's no way this Erwin or whatshisname managed to take down seven monsters without using the power of his creature. Only stupid people would believe a story as absurd as that."

Nanaba's heart sank, she was feeling greatly dismayed by his words. She knew her cheeks were becoming red, and that her voice would come out in a stutter if she attempted to open her mouth to make a reply, so she squeezed her lips tight instead.

"All she says is true," a familiar voice came unexpectedly to her rescue, and a couple of heads turned towards the tall boy who uttered them.

It was Erwin, holding his companion in his arm like a teddy bear. He walked up to stand right beside Nanaba, facing off the dark-haired boy with the glasses. "I did take on seven creatures, and defeated them all at once."

"I see now," the other boy said, his lips curving into a smirk as he measured them up. "I'm rather inclined to believe that it was you, after all, since that stuffed toy of yours seems to be of no use whatsoever."

Erwin's expression remained unchanging at the insult, but when Nanaba stole a sideways glance at his profile, she could detect that same determined glint in his eyes she had previously witnessed.

"Well, why don't you put your theory to the test, then?" Erwin replied in a calm voice, which still managed to sound taunting. "I'm quite curious myself whether your pet rabbit is of any use at all."

The trainees, who had been previously crowding around, cleared some space between the row of tables for the two of them, sensing that some serious trouble was brewing, but nevertheless excited about the prospect of a duel.

"I accept your challenge," the dark-haired boy replied, adjusting his glasses and motioning for his creature to step forward.

Erwin put down his own companion from his arm. Both creatures took up a fighting stance, waiting for their masters' command.

Nanaba glanced nervously around – she faintly remembered something written in the school rules, about how battling creatures against each other was strictly forbidden outside classes, and especially without the supervision of a certified trainer. But it seemed to her that none of their instructors were around to stop them, and so the best she could do was to hope the situation wouldn't turn out too bad – in fact, she felt certain that Erwin would teach that conceited rich boy a lesson to remember.

Nanaba was about to turn her head back towards the impending fight, when her eyes were caught by the door moving open a crack, and she found herself meeting a steely glare…

* * *

~ **ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MONSTERS** ~

 **SCAREGLOW, the Ravager Scarecrow (Stage 1)**

 **Element: ghost/fire/grass**

 **Power: Pyromaniac – Sets fire to anything combustible.**

 **A creature most baleful and bothersome, it hides away in dark forests, but appears in hordes on fields during dry summer days to set fire to hay bales, basking in the glow of destruction. Due to their pestilent nature, members of this species have been hunted and exterminated since ancient times…**

* * *

Soon, the door was thrown wide open, and it was a rather short girl who marched in with great, noisy strides, wearing an apron, her hair tucked under a chef's hat and escaping in untidy strands. A small greenish grass-creature dressed in similar attire was following her in two stubby little legs.

"Erwin Smith!" the girl cried in a clear, commanding voice, drawing the attention to herself as she marched up to the two boys, giving them both that same, nasty glare which could make one's blood go cold as ice.

Erwin looked like someone who had just been nabbed, and his opponent's face showed a hint of consternation, too.

"Explain yourself right now!" she demanded, brandishing a ladle she held in one hand like a club. "What's this awful gossip I'm hearing about you?"

Nanaba looked at the small, angry-looking girl from head to toe, then it clicked: 'Eyes sharp as blades, hair like raging flames…' The girl might have just happened to be her very own roommate.

Erwin heaved a sigh, but before he could open his mouth to give any sort of reply, the tall and ominous figure of Head Instructor Shadis appeared in the open doorway, accompanied by an intimidating creature with horns resembling a sharp-fanged jaw.

"I think I heard some sort of ruckus," Shadis said in a deadly calm voice. "Care to explain what's going on in here?"

Since everyone in the mess hall remained silent for a prolonged time, and the atmosphere was becoming more and more oppressing each moment, the dark-haired boy finally take it upon himself to offer an explanation.

"It was only this kitchen-wench, sir." He threw a dismissive glance at the girl with the chef's hat and apron, to which she puffed up her cheeks in indignation. "She came storming in as if the house was on fire."

"I see," Shadis said in the same tone, inspecting the two creatures that were still facing off each other, only now their hostility was replaced by confusion. Then, he turned to the small girl, "It's big-mouthed Brzenska again, isn't it? Why, I thought there's enough work to do in the kitchen to keep you occupied."

"There is, sir," the girl replied, her expression becoming meek.

"THEN WHY IN THE NAME OF ARCEUS AND THE HOLY GUARDIAN SPIRITS AREN'T YOU THERE, SCRUBBING DISHES, EH?" He was bending low to shout in the girl's face, and the volume of his voice was unpleasant enough to hear from where Nanaba was standing – she was rather glad for not being in the girl's place. She couldn't imagine what she had possibly done to deserve such treatment.

Nanaba could see now that perhaps the rumours about Shadis were true, after all: he did look like someone who would bite their heads off without a second thought.

"I'm returning there in a minute, sir. I just wanted to make sure…" The girl's voice trailed off as she sought to make eye contact with Erwin, but the boy was avoiding her gaze.

"That your little friends wouldn't make the same mistake _you_ did, getting themselves into trouble and being punished?" Shadis finished for her in a sarcastic tone. "Aren't you a bit late with that, you silly little goose? I can see what's going on, and I do not approve."

His companion gave the two opposing creatures such an intimidating glare that both of them went hiding behind their respective masters.

"Let me make one thing clear," Shadis announced, addressing everyone in the mess hall, "Telling tales is not tolerated in this school. And telling on others is something I personally _hate_."

Being the recipient of the Head Instructor's pointed look, the dark-haired boy shrank back a bit, but his features didn't show any trace of remorse.

"And one more thing," Shadis resumed, pacing among the terrified trainees. "Once you find yourselves dying on the battlefield, whether outside for humanity's glory, or inside as living shields for His Majesty the King, do you think the devil gives a damn whether you were born a noble or a commoner?"

The dark eyes hardened, but the boy was wise enough to remain silent about his sentiments.

"Once you entered these gates, you can forget about your birth privileges. Here in the military, the only rank we recognize is that which you earn for yourselves. But as you are now, you are all equal: nothing more than cowardly maggots. But I already told you all that, right?"

"Right, sir!" the trainees replied in unison.

"As a lesson on comradeship and an exercise for any excess in competitive spirit, I hereby appoint Smith and Dawk to be personally in charge of the cleanliness of the bathrooms. In each dorm. For a full month," Shadis announced, sorting out due punishment for the two boys, then spoke to all the rest, "Did you think it'd be all fun and games? Just wait until we see each other on the fields! Now, off to bed, you miserable milksops! Whomever I find sneaking around after lights-out, I'm going to feed them to Annabel, got that?"

"I'm not afraid of death," the dark-haired boy said, once the Head Instructor and his partner left the mess hall. "But I'm not here to become a meaningless sacrifice. I'm going to outrank everyone in this school, and then I shall never have to leave the Fortress and become food for 'them'."

Before walking away, he threw a last, challenging glance at Erwin.

"What a coward," Erwin remarked dismissively. "Aiming to be the very best, only to avoid 'them'… That's just…"

Nanaba could see his hands clenching into fists in restrained anger. She felt an urge to call out to him, but the other girl was quicker to speak.

"He might be a coward, but then you're heartless," she stated, her angry frown returning. "What am I hearing, Erwin? Is it true that you crushed all those poor bugs with your bare fist?"

Erwin threw a quick glance at Nanaba, before he replied, "It is quite true, I did-"

But he wasn't allowed to finish his sentence, because the girl grabbed him by the arm and was dragging the much taller boy out of the room, before Nanaba could even process what was going on…

~7~

Although she wasn't born into a family of wealthy nobles or affluent merchants, being the only daughter of her father who was the Karate Master of a small-town Fighting Dojo, Nanaba had received her education on manners, and so she was always rather well-behaved. It had never, ever, crossed her mind to eavesdrop on the conversation of others, and when she did overhear things, it was all quite by accident.

Leaving the mess hall, she happened to be heading in the same direction where the small girl was tugging Erwin by the arm, and it was by mere chance that the two of them decided to have their talk out on the battlement, nearest the window where Nanaba though she would look out upon the darkening sky before turning in for the night. And while she stood there stargazing, she happened to overhear a few things.

Actually, quite a lot of things. But of course, it was all by chance…

* * *

 **~TRAINEE PROFILE~**

 **YAMABUKI NANABA**

 **from Saffron Town, Northern Valor**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Age: 7 years**

 **Skills: martial arts, cleaning and cooking**

 **Favourite type: fighting**

 **Aspiration: unknown**

* * *

"If you wanted to praise my achievement, you could've done it in front of the others." Erwin's voice sounded displeased. "Why do you always have to make such a scene? You're embarrassing me."

"The one embarrassed is _me_!" the small girl snapped at him heatedly. "And don't expect any praise, what you deserve is a sound _scolding_!"

Heaving an exasperated sigh, Erwin leaned his back against the battlement wall and folded his arms. His expression remained unrevealing of what he was really feeling inside.

"You must tell me what happened to those poor creatures!" the girl insisted. "Did you really squash their guts?"

"Ew, who told you _that_?"

"Answer my question!"

A prolonged moment of tense silence followed, which allowed Nanaba to fully experience the guilt which began gnawing at her from the inside – if only she had kept her mouth shut, then Erwin wouldn't have to endure such interrogation. All she wanted was to repay her debt to him by making everyone know about his exceptional skills in handling those creatures. She never imagined that she would cause the boy to end up in such trouble.

"All right," Erwin finally gave in to the blade-sharp eyes, and unfolded his arms. "I'll tell you the whole and truthful story, since you seem so anxious about them."

"Go on, I'm all ears," the girl urged him.

"I didn't kill any," Erwin admitted. "I only went and tried what you suggested me the other day."

"You did?" The girl cocked her head incredulously, the chef's hat finally sliding off her head and letting loose her long, flaxen hair, which appeared almost white under the moonlight.

"Yes, and it worked out well," Erwin said, and his eyes became animated again as he began to explain, "I was talking to the creatures, trying to persuade them to leave the room, and now I see that you must be right: they do have reason, for they seemed to understand and consider my words."

"I told you, didn't I?" the girl said triumphantly, poking at Erwin's chest with the ladle, but the boy snatched it away from her and held onto the object while the girl continued, "What did you tell them exactly?"

Erwin's smile widened when he replied, "I told them that the Honey they were feasting on belonged to a bug-eating Giantess, and so they all fled."

"You…!" The girl puffed herself up again. "You threatened them with such a lie?"

"But it served the purpose!" Erwin protested, trying to avoid being smacked with the ladle as the girl attempted to take it back from him.

"I was right about you," she said. "You have no heart at all! Don't you ever think about how they might _feel_? It wasn't a nice thing to make them afraid for their lives!"

"Aren't you just vexed for me spreading your bad reputation in the Bug Kingdom?" Erwin asked, prying the ladle away from her hands once again. "You might find it difficult to make friends with them now. I gave them such a vivid description of your person that no doubt they'd all cower in fear when they saw you approaching."

"I'm not like _you_ ," the girl retorted. "I don't give much for reputation."

"I can see that," Erwin said with a scoff. "Haven't you made quite a memorable debut on your very first day in school, little kitchen-wench?"

The girl made a reply, but in such a low voice that Nanaba couldn't catch her words – not that she was particularly paying attention of what was being said, she was merely an accidental observer. But still, she could see the hurt on her face, and when she crouched down with her back against the wall, Nanaba could almost imagine her crying – a feeling all too familiar to her.

Erwin went to stand close by her side, playing awkwardly with the ladle. For a while, he watched his teddy-bear partner approaching the flower-bud creature with curious sniffs, the crescent mark on its forehead glowing in a soft yellow. From beneath its chef's hat, the flower-bud produced a jar of Honey and offered it to the bear, who gladly accepted the gift, tossing away the lid and dipping its paw into the thick, sweet-smelling liquid. Then, remembering manners, it pushed the jar closer for its friends to reach, and the two of them began eating messily. A faint smile was forming on Erwin's lips.

"Why do you have to be so cruel?" The girl's muffled voice sounded as if she were really on the verge of tears, and Erwin's smile vanished.

"You know that's not true at all," he said in a soft voice, trying to comfort her. "I was only joking."

"So you enjoy making fun of me?" The girl sprang up and walked a few steps away from him, turning her back to Erwin. "You're no better than that stuck-up know-all from before."

Nanaba could see Erwin's hands clenching into fists, his eyes flashing up for a moment, but when he spoke again, it was all gone.

"No," Erwin said after a deep exhale, shoulders slumping a bit. "I really should've said sorry to you. About earlier – about everything. You were right, and I was the stupid one for not hearing you out. So, if you could just forgive me, I'd like to be friends with you again."

"Can I even believe your word?"

"I'd do whatever you wish, so you can see I'm serious about it."

The girl slowly turned around to face him, her expression just as unreadable as Erwin's was earlier.

"I pardon you," she eventually said, offering her small hand to the boy, who took it a bit uncertainly.

"So easily?" Erwin looked surprised, but pleased nevertheless.

"You told me the truth, after all," the girl said, and Nanaba could see that the next moment, the both of them were smiling. "And you did apologize, so there's no reason for me to be angry with you anymore. You even went as far as to bring my book back, so it's not like we weren't friends in the first place."

"Have I told you that you're the coolest person I've ever met?" Erwin said quite unexpectedly, beaming down on the much shorter girl. "And it makes me really happy to have you as a friend, Rico."

Still holding hands, the girl was blushing faintly, and Nanaba could feel her face going hot, too. She wouldn't admit it, but she was envious: she wanted to be seen as a 'cool person', too – someone brave and worthy to be considered a friend.

That night, looking up at the starry sky, she made a vow to herself: she would use her forthcoming five years in Trost Training School to become a person just like that…

~7~

True to the words of Head Instructor Shadis, Trost Training School soon proved to be no playground…

Especially after Nanaba found out that their Professor of Basics of Creature Evolution had a great fondness for bugs, and so he announced a Bug-Catching Contest, supplying each trainee with a Sport Capsule and words of advice on how to catch a bug-creature to display for next week's class, when he would judge them and choose a winner.

The prospect of competition and the promise of a reward did make it sound fun for most of the trainees – but as for Nanaba, she didn't see much 'fun' in going out into the school gardens in search for some crawling, buzzing or stinging creature. She would avoid them at all costs, so she stayed indoors most of the time, watching from a window as the others entered the tall grass, equipped with bug-nets and with their companion creatures by their sides.

Fortunately, Hokori had arrived back from the Head Nurse, and now, along with the Black Belt Nanaba had received from her father as parting gift, she was wearing a loose collar with a plain stone hanging from it: everyone who had brought an own companion creature with them to the boarding school had had to submit them for examination, during which they had each received an Everstone to prevent them from evolving.

Back in the Fighting Dojo, Nanaba had seen Machop at various stages of evolution, and admired them for their muscular bodies and mastery of the martial arts. Still, she liked her own partner the way she was: Hokori was one of the rare female fighters among her species, and her skin was a beautiful shade of tan instead of the usual greyish colouration. She was strong and bold – everything Nanaba herself wished to become.

Still, even with the fighting-type by her side, she was reluctant to go into the tall grass, afraid of being attacked by a horde of those loathsome creatures.

"What should we do, Hokori?" Nanaba sighed in the window, turning her empty Sport Capsule over in her hand.

"Have you caught one yet?" a friendly voice came from behind her back, and she almost dropped the capsule from her hand.

"N-No," she replied, turning around, but hanging her head low. "Not yet…"

"Oh, right, I forgot," Erwin said, a smile in his voice. "I was about to show you what I found, but then I remembered that you're afraid of bugs."

It was true, but hearing it from the boy made Nanaba feel even more mortified, so that she couldn't look Erwin straight in the eye. How was she supposed to prove herself when she was too scared even to try? How could she compete with all the others who already have something to show for class? Would she end up going empty-handed and suffer the humiliation?

No, she couldn't do that. She couldn't always rely on the help of others, either. It was something she had to achieve on her own.

"I'm not _that_ afraid of them anymore," she said, recalling her latest encounter with the bugs and trying to draw courage from the boy's own dauntless behaviour when facing them. "Ever since I saw you scaring them away…"

"Well, it's a bit difficult to coax them into the capsule with mere words," Erwin replied, pulling out his own Sport Capsule. "Bruhn and I had had to put up a real serious fight before we managed to capture this one."

Nanaba glanced at him and saw that the boy's clothes were torn at several places, and both he and his bear companion looked rather battle-worn.

"Your uniform…"

"I'm not that worried about it," Erwin said, with a carefree smile. "I made friends with the tailor's daughter, I'm sure she can patch it up for me."

"Oh…"

"But these creatures are natural-born fighters," the boy resumed, turning his eyes back at the orange capsule in his hand. "They wouldn't give up on their freedom so easily. Only if you manage to prove them that your will is even stronger than their own, then…"

He shook his head, and fell silent for a while. Nanaba tried to read the look on his profile, until the boy turned towards her again.

"I'm sure you and Hokori can prove yourselves to them. I'm quite keen on competitions like this, so I'm looking forward to see what kind of a creature you'll have for the contest!" Erwin flashed a wide smile, before he scooped up his small companion, and ran off down the corridor.

Nanaba looked at the capsule in her hand. She didn't want to let Erwin down. She didn't want to be a disappointment – not to her teachers, not to her partner, and not to those who would be her new friends…

~7~

After lunch in the afternoon, Nanaba found that her roommate Rico wasn't in their dorm room, and she hadn't made any visible effort to clean up her stuff, either. So the task eventually fell on Nanaba, who went on gathering jars and various thrash tucked under the bed. Once she was done with that, she brought a loaded bag out onto the yard, where she had previously seen a huge trash can.

Hokori was opening the lid for her, and Nanaba was just about to dump the bag into the can, when she noticed movement inside…

* * *

 **~CREATURE SCOPE~**

 **HOKORI the Machop**

 **Gender:** **Female**

 **Nature:** **Bold**

 **Characteristic:** **Somewhat vain.**

 **Ability:** **Guts**

 **Move-Set:** **Leer / Focus Energy / Low Kick / Karate Chop**

 **Held Item:** **Black Belt / Everstone**

 **Partner:** **Nanaba**

* * *

Nanaba backed away in alarm: it was one of those dark, crawling creatures she had seen back in her room, covered in a cloak of pale pink. With its body hanging from the brim of the trash can, it glared at her with oval amber eyes.

Feeling a gentle poke at her side, Nanaba slowly turned her head to where Hokori was standing next to her, giving her an encouraging look. Nanaba responded with a silent nod, then cautiously placed the bag on the ground, wincing when the jars inside made a clattering noise. But as the bug remained stationed at the side of the trash can, Nanaba reached for her Sport Capsule.

It was a chance. If only she could capture that hideous creature – which seemed to be quite alone this time around – then she wouldn't have to go into the tall grass and risk meeting its cousins as well.

Hokori stepped forward, giving the bug-creature an intimidating _Leer_ , while Nanaba was trying to swallow the lump which had grown in her throat. She remembered that creatures were easier to capture in a weakened state, but even then, they might break free from the capsule, and she only had that one chance. Nanaba knew Hokori for being quite a show-off, but she couldn't let her partner get all pumped up and make the creature faint, because then she wouldn't be able to capture it, either.

The tan-coloured fighter looked back at her, waiting for her command, so Nanaba took in a great breath. "Okay, here we go… _Low Kick!_ "

Hokori delivered a kick at the creature, but it swung its body out of reach, so she had to try again. Next time, her foot made such a loud clang against the side of the trash can that the bug-creature became startled and lost its hold on the edge, falling to the ground and scattering some of its cloak.

The creature remained cringing at Hokori's feet, and Nanaba thought it was the right time to throw the capsule, and so she did, hitting the bug right on the head and watching as it disappeared into the reddish glow. Nanaba looked intently at the orange capsule swaying from side to side as the creature struggled to escape. She held her breath and clenched her fists tight, until she heard a faint 'click', and the capsule stopped moving.

"We… did it?" she breathed quite incredulously.

Hokori picked up the Sport Capsule, and held it out to her proudly. Still a bit afraid that the creature might come out on its own, Nanaba took the capsule a bit gingerly. Then, she went to

fish out a glass jar from the bag, and dropped the capsule inside, closing the lid tight for good measure. She didn't intend to let the creature loose until she had to present it in class, and after it served its purpose, she would get rid of it somehow.

For the moment, Nanaba was feeling happy and quite proud of her achievement, and when later she saw Erwin again on the corridors, she could return his smile with her own, confident one…

~7~

"So, you already have one," Erwin said, beaming at her with appreciation. "Congratulations!"

"T-Thank you!" Nanaba cautiously placed the jar with the capsule beside her on the fountain rim. The trainees were standing in groups outside the greenhouses, waiting for their first Basics of Gardening & Growing Grass-types class.

"I'm hardly surprised she managed to get one," the dark-haired boy with the glasses made an unfriendly comment. "Thanks to Brzenska and her ingenious idea of smearing everything with Honey, now everyone seems to have some bug or another to showcase."

"I'm not as stupid as I look, am I?" Rico said, sticking out her tongue at him, but the boy ignored her, as if the girl weren't even there.

"As for myself, I've already caught my own, and way before everyone else did," he resumed with a haughty air, "and it's not some weakling, either."

"I'm glad to hear that," Erwin said, with that strange glint in his eyes. "It would be a boring competition if there weren't any match for _my_ creature."

The two boys kept glaring at each other in evident hostility, and Nanaba was afraid that another fight was about to break out, when Rico suddenly intervened.

"How exciting, isn't it?" she exclaimed in a sharp, affected voice, patting the both of them on the back. "Erwin, Nile, I'm sure both of you did well completing the task."

Erwin relaxed, while the other boy gave her a grimace of displeasure.

"I don't need praise from _you_."

"Do you want to take a look at what I have?" Rico was fumbling in her pale pink bag until she found her own Sport Capsule.

"I'd rather not," the dark-haired boy declined.

"Don't be such a spoilsport, Nile," Erwin told him, his friendly smile returning. "Humour the lady."

Nanaba shrank back a bit when Rico released the creature from her capsule, but when she took a closer look at it, she was more than a bit perplexed. The creature had a round, shiny deep-pink body, which looked like a friendly, smiling face. But instead of a pair of antennas, what it had on its head was a pair of green leaves.

"Isn't she the sweetest?" the girl asked proudly.

"Are you joking, Rico?" Erwin raised his brows in apparent consternation.

"Why would I?"

"Do you remember what the task was?" Nile only gave the creature one, disdainful glance. "That's not even a bug, anyone can see as much."

"But…" Rico's lips were curling down into an unhappy pout. "I thought as long as it's from the gardens…"

"The problem is, you weren't thinking at all," Nile told her sharply, without even looking at the girl. "Well, it'd look quite decorative on top of a cake. Kitchen-wench."

"Loo-scrubber," Rico retorted to the boy's back, her cheeks puffed up like a balloon.

Erwin chuckled, and even Nanaba was fighting back a giggle. Nile wouldn't turn around to make a reply, but left their company without another word.

"Did you make that word up on your own?" Erwin asked the small girl.

"You're a loo-scrubber, too," Rico replied, then called back the cherry-creature with a sigh. She sank down on the fountain rim to sit beside Nanaba, and began to lament, "What am I going to do now?"

"Perhaps you can try trading it," Erwin suggested.

"Good idea!" Rico sprang up again, waving the Sport Capsule high above her head and crying out in a loud voice, "Hey! Anyone up for a trade?"

She received a couple of uncertain glances from the other trainees, but that was all.

"Erwin?" she turned hopefully to the tall boy, but he only gave her his usual smile. "Nana?"

Nanaba jumped, realizing that it was her being addressed.

"No way!" she exclaimed, scooping up the jar protectively in her arms. There was not a chance she would trade her hard-earned bug-creature away, no matter how much cuter the one Rico offered for trade happened to be.

"Oh, well…" Rico sighed again, but to Nanaba, she didn't look that much dejected.

"You still have a couple of days left," Erwin reminded her encouragingly. "I'm sure you'll come up with a plan."

Soon, both Rico and Erwin were laughing and making jokes, and after a while, Nanaba was laughing with them, too, until their Professor of Basics of Gardening & Growing Grass-types finally showed up. She was an Oriental woman in an elegant kimono painted with orange maple leaves. Her partner was a beautiful grass-type creature with a pair of red blossoms adorning its head, and a long skirt made of vivid yellow and green leaves.

Following the others inside the humid, earth-smelling greenhouse and listening to their lively chatter, Nanaba found that she, too, was quite looking forward to see the outcome of the Bug-Catching Contest…

~7~

"Burmy makes its protective cloak from whatever material it finds in its surroundings, therefore it is highly adaptive to any kind of environment."

The day for the next Basics of Creature Evolution finally came, and Professor Bugsy was appraising a bagworm, which was hiding its small body among pink scraps.

"As it matures, the male sheds its cloak and grows wings, becoming a bug/flying dual type."

Nanaba had to suppress a shudder as she recalled the enormous Moth spread out above her bed.

"The female retains her cloak, which becomes a part of its body, adding grass, ground or steel to its basic type." Again, the Professor gestured to the bagworm on display. "This one here is wearing a Trash Cloak. When evolved in this form, it would become a bug/steel dual type. A very unique and rare combination."

Although she was happy for the positive evaluation, Nanaba was feeling more than a bit nervous, even though the bugs they had caught were safely locked behind bars. Their Professor had shown them how to insert the Sport Capsules into a device, which released each captured creature into a spacious cage – and good thing they weren't let loose in the open, for more than just a few of them appeared quite hostile.

The one Erwin had caught had a large green body and a pair of sharp blades. It was trying to cut away the iron bars of the cage, making quite a noise and sending sparks in every direction. Professor Bugsy walked over to inspect the creature, nodding his head in approval.

"Scyther would usually sharpen its twin scythes on hard objects, but this one looks upset to me."

"Maybe it doesn't like being locked up in a cage, sir," Erwin said, appearing troubled.

"I remember how difficult it is to catch one of this species." With a nostalgic look in his eyes, the professor glanced at his companion, a bug-creature similarly built, only wearing a harder-looking red shell. "Even though it rarely spreads its wings to fly, this bug moves faster than the eye can follow. You did a great job, catching this energetic fellow here," he praised, moving on to the next cage, which contained something rather peculiar.

Nanaba thought it looked like a piece of rock with holes in it – perhaps someone was up to a joke, displaying a rock instead of a bug. But then something yellow popped out from one of the holes, then four more from the others, and it stretched curiously, until Nanaba could make out its face.

"Aw, how cute!" Anka cried, and for once, Nanaba had to agree: the creature looked rather like a small turtle.

"What do we have here? A bug/rock dual-type!" Professor Bugsy exclaimed in delight. "This one is quite rare around these parts."

"It was Sandy who sniffed it out for me," Mike said, petting his brown hyena-pup partner.

"It does have a characteristic aroma to it," the Professor nodded. "Shuckle would collect Berries and ferment them in its shell."

"Ew…" Anka drew back from the cage with a grimace.

"The juice it makes is quite delicious and refreshing, though," he added, then went on to look at a roundish bug with a red back and black spots on it. "And this here is a Ledyba. Very timid by nature, they prefer to move about in a group rather than being all on their own. They communicate with each other by emitting scents, very much like…"

"You see? Bugs are not as dreadful as that," Erwin told Nanaba in a low voice, while they followed the others to the next cage. She smiled and gave a small nod in reply.

"Pinsir grabs its prey with its powerful pincers, and tears them in half," the Professor's voice came from near a cage containing a large brown bug with thorn-like growths on its horns. "But it dislikes cold, so it'd use those pincers to burrow deep under…"

Nanaba stopped a safe distance away, clinging to Erwin's arm and keeping him back, too.

"Perhaps I should take that back," the boy said with a soft laugh. "They _are_ awful, after all. But still, you shouldn't be afraid."

Nanaba didn't even notice that she was holding onto Erwin until the boy gently removed his arm from her grasp, but only to take her hand in his own. She could feel something wrapped around Erwin's palm, but still, his hand was warm and comforting as he pulled her along to a cage containing another curious creature. It had really huge eyes, and a body covered with thick purple fur, a pair of antennas sticking out from its forehead.

"These compound eyes work like radars," the Professor explained. "Venonat is active in the night, when it catches and eats smaller bugs. It is attracted by the light, but beware of its poison. When it evolves into Venomoth, its poison becomes …"

Nanaba gave an unconscious squeeze to Erwin's hand, to which the boy turned to her with a reassuring smile, guessing her worries.

"You don't have to be afraid of that Moth returning, or the bees buzzing outside the window. There's peace again with the Bug Kingdom."

Nanaba looked at his profile, then suddenly remembered what gave her the strange sensation of something missing: she couldn't find Rico anywhere when she looked around the classroom, and it was rare to see Erwin without the small girl by his side.

Nanaba recalled that the previous night, her roommate left in a late hour, and she never heard her return, nor had she seen her in the morning, either.

"And… Where's Rico?" she asked cautiously.

"Her? Well…" The boy's usual good mood became clouded. "Making peace with them didn't go as smoothly, after stealing all that Honey, so…"

Erwin's hand slipped from hers as they arrived at a cage containing a dark blue beetle with an enormous horn protruding from its forehead. Nile was standing there, a smug smile on his face.

"Heracross is a bug/fighting dual-type," Professor Bugsy began his introduction to the creature, "and as such, it's very strong. Although usually docile, when in combat, it uses its single horn to throw the enemy. It can lift a hundred times of its own weight. An amazing feat, isn't it? I'd say, its only weakness is sweets – it loves sipping Honey."

Nanaba noticed the way cold blue and deep black met, and felt sure that those pairs of eyes were communicating a challenge for battle.

"Now that we've judged your bugs, I think it's time to announce the winner of the Contest!" Professor Bugsy clapped his hands in excitement, returning to his place on the podium. "Everyone did a splendid job on capturing such spectacular creatures. It was difficult to pick one of them, and I didn't want to seem particularly biased for a certain species…" He threw an apologetic glance towards the cage with the energetic green mantis, then continued, "So, in the end, Striker and I decided to give the first prize to-"

He was suddenly cut off by the noise of the door being thrown open from the outside. Everyone turned to see a white figure coming into the classroom. Nanaba all but shrieked – the thing looked like something between a ghost and a mummy…

But it was only Rico, wearing a night-gown that was too long for her, and so it trailed onto the floor. Her hair looked as if it had never been touched by a comb, and she had both hands bandaged, only the gauze was coming loose and was floating out like ribbons behind her advancing figure.

"Miss Brzenska," the Professor said, quite surprised himself. "I was told you were feeling too unwell to attend classes today."

"I'm feeling well enough, sir, to nominate my creature to the Contest," she said, sounding a bit breathless as she came to a halt in front of the podium, smoothing out her apparel. "Please?"

"Very well, then," the Professor said with a smile. "Let us see what you have."

The girl turned around with a searching gaze, until she scouted out Erwin, who took out another Sport Capsule from his bag. Nanaba blinked in confusion as he handed it to the girl – was she intending to nominate the creature which wasn't even a bug? But then she noticed that one of Erwin's hands was bandaged, too, and she wasn't sure anymore about what was going on. She wasn't allowed much time to ponder, either, because as soon as she received the capsule, Rico released her creature, and Nanaba backed away instinctively.

Even before the light from the capsule solidified into the creature's body, Nanaba could see that it wasn't anything like a cherry. It was something which was kept afloat by a pair of small, fluttering wings. It looked very much like a bug-type.

Professor Bugsy leaned forward to inspect it through his magnifying glass.

"A lady Combee," he hummed appreciatively. "These little bugs are born as inseparable triplets. They're busy gathering flower honey for their Queen all day, and in the night, they form a protective hive to sleep. Females are very rare, each one of them being a potential Queen of a new colony. I'm impressed by this find, Miss Brzenska."

Rico appeared pleased by the praise.

"I was just about to give the reward away to a Hero," Professor Bugsy said as he placed a polished wooden case on top of his desk, appearing conflicted, "although one can't help but bow before a Queen."

His lavender eyes were looking at Nile, hands hesitantly fiddling with the lock on the case. Nanaba noticed that Erwin was looking at the boy, too, with that same, intense gaze, and when Nile returned it with his own, she thought neither of them would ever relent.

However, she was wrong…

"I renounce my victory in her favour," Nile spoke up unexpectedly, his words sounding clear and firm. "True Heroes bow before the Queen."

His dark gaze returned to meet Erwin's, and Nanaba could see a faint, but content smile forming on the blond boy's lips.

"It is resolved, then," the professor nodded happily, flipping the lid on his case to display a pale, smooth stone placed neatly inside on a cushion. The centre of the stone was emitting a dazzling glow. "The winner of the Bug-Catching Contest is Miss Rico Brzenska, who caught a beautiful Combee. Congratulations!"

Many of the trainees cheered, but Nanaba was disappointed by the outcome. And apparently, she wasn't the only one feeling that way. The haughty expression still remained on Nile's face, but underneath, Nanaba could imagine him boiling with rage, and for once she could understand him. She didn't like Rico at all – that girl just had to appear out of nowhere, at the worst time possible, and steal the fame for herself. It didn't look fair to her.

"I might still have a second prize here…" Professor Bugsy said, rummaging through his drawers before he found a plain black stone, which looked a bit chipped, but nevertheless he went and offered it to the dark-haired boy. "The friend who gave me this stone said that it has the power of the moon in it. Who knows, it might make a King someday." He gave Nile and his companion a wink, then proceeded to distribute some consolation prizes among the other trainees. "These Shed Shells are very useful. Give them to your partners, and you can make them switch from a situation even as tight as being tangled in a _Spider Web_."

Nanaba poked the discarded carapace with disgust – even the thought of it once belonging to some bug was hateful to her.

"Maybe next time, luck will be on our side," Erwin said, tucking his own Shed Shell away into his bag. "Still, I think these past few days had given us some great experiences."

"Yeah…" Nanaba replied, unable to return his optimistic smile.

Erwin turned back to his cage, where the green mantis was glaring back at him from behind the bars with defiant dark-grey eyes.

"I'll work hard and train this creature as best as I can. Perhaps one day, it could even match up to Professor Bugsy's Striker. I really like steel-types… Ah, that's right! I heard him saying that your bagworm can evolve into a steel-type, too. I'd surely like to see that!"

"Really?"

"Of course, it's up to you what you choose, but whatever it'd be, I'm sure you can train it into something awesome."

Erwin went to congratulate to his friend, and Nanaba turned back to her own caged specimen, giving it a closer look for the very first time.

"Okay. I'll keep you, and train you into the coolest bug/steel type."

She still found the creature rather ugly, but by then, she was quite determined to give it a try, and conquer her fear. On closer inspection, the small black bagworm didn't look that horrible at all. It was returning her gaze with a look of friendly inquiry.

"If you're nice to me, I'll be nice to you, Tattery."


	2. White Castle

**AoGM Side Story Sketches**

 _ **Tale Of The Thieving Birds**_

 _ **Black Raven & White Swan**_

 **Treasure Of The White Castle**

 **The Masked Thief & The Unhappy Duchess**

Blended into the darkness of the night, only a pair of bright grey eyes shone as they watched the warm light filtering through the only open window of the pompous castle. The evening breeze caught up the white curtains, playing with them and waving them like a flag. What was all that, if not invitation enough?

His partner, a small creature, darker than the night, returned to his side, waiting for his orders.

"The target is right in front of us. You know what to do," a hollow, emotionless voice called from behind a mask.

His companion gave a vicious snicker before they both sprang from the rooftop, a pair of black wings spreading and carrying them lightly to the edge of the open window. He was prepared for anything, except for what he actually found in that room, full of fineries and expensive ornaments. Something even more precious caught his eyes: a young maiden, dressed in all white, sobbing quietly as she was kneeling beside her canopied bed, her head resting on the soft covers. A picture from a fairy tale.

"I wish I could be free to make choices of my own." That small sigh and those words spoken with so much emotion intrigued him to talk.

"Might I ask what reason a duchess has to cry so woefully like that?" he asked in a low voice, watching as the girl turned around in alarm to face him – if he had a face – a shriek almost escaping her lips, but got caught in her throat as his trustworthy companion clapped a clawed paw over the delicate mouth.

A pair of golden eyes looked back at him, surprise replaced by the flames of indignation. A gemstone more precious than any other treasure could be. The sparks of will in those golden eyes told him that she was no ordinary duchess.

"Forgive my intrusion," he began, assuming his smoothest tone. "I'm only here to take what you have plenty of, and then we shall never cross paths again." Even as he said that, his other companions – birds fond of glittering treasures – began methodically cleaning the room from all the valuables, stacking them away in sacks. He could see the girl struggling against the grip, confirming to him again that her will might have been stronger than her delicate-looking body.

"Noir," he called to his companion. "That's no way of treating nobility."

To his words, the creature lowered his paws from the girl's mouth, but only to place the edge of his sharp claws against the white throat.

' _My Master is quite merciful, but let out a scream, and it'll be your last one_ ,' the creature told those vicious words, but neither of the two humans could understand his language.

Yet, the sharp claws against the skin of her neck conveyed the cruel message. The girl knew by instinct that she wasn't supposed to raise her voice, or her head would roll, onto the softly carpeted floor, right before the feet of her mysterious visitor: the masked man she had only known from stories before.

"It's you, isn't it?" the girl asked in a low voice, her eyes never leaving the cold silver gaze. "Black Raven, the thief."

"You are right about my name, but I prefer to call myself a collector," he replied with a dismissive wave of his hand, "but most things you rich people have are worthless trash for me. You, however…" He took a step closer to the girl, his shadow towering menacingly over her. "Your necklace. Give it to me," he ordered in a voice hollow but menacing.

"No," the girl replied, raising her voice in protest. "You can take anything, but not this one. I won't part with it. Never."

' _Then you shall part with your pretty head_ ,' the dark creature snickered behind her, looking at his Master expectantly. However, he shook his head almost imperceptibly.

"I am no fairy godmother," he told the girl at his feet, "but still, I can offer you a deal. However, there is an important thing I have to know first. My only condition in exchange of granting you freedom from the dreary confines of this dazzling castle. That is, if you are interested."

"What is it?" the girl asked, her eyes betraying a hint of suspicion. He leaned closer to her as he put his very important question.

"Can you clean?" he inquired in a low, but serious voice.

The girl, a bit intimidated by the sudden, close proximity of the masked thief, only nodded in reply.

"Good," he said with a hint of satisfaction in his cold voice. "You can keep your precious treasure if you agree to come with me, to _my_ castle, and live there, as one of us."

"Are you offering me the life of a thief?" the girl questioned dubiously.

"I'm offering you a choice to live free."

As if mesmerized by the intent, silvery gaze, the girl took the cold hand offered to her, and before she could utter as much as a surprised cry, she was pulled out through the open window and into the night.

A pair of birds in flight, one black as night, the other pure white…


	3. Black Castle

**AoGM Side Story Sketches**

 _ **Tale Of The Thieving Birds**_

 _ **White Swan & Crimson Crow**_

 **Master Of the Black Castle**

 **The Abducted Duchess & The Drama Queen**

The night breeze was blowing full in her face, tangling her auburn locks. She had never experienced the sensation of flying before. She had been traveling in carriages drawn by swift horses, but she was never allowed to mount one. She had seen the birds soar high above in the sky, but she had never dreamed of being carried by one. It was a sensation which made her heart soar. Which made her feel free.

The roofs of the houses and palaces of the Acuity District swept by swiftly beneath them, carrying them over woodland. Their flight gradually slowed, the flapping of the dark wings became more sporadic. The feeling of exhilaration was slowly replaced by terror. They were falling.

"Shit, I never knew duchesses were so damn heavy," her masked abductor – no, _saviour_ – cursed, his previous smooth manners thrown to the wind.

She couldn't do any better but to hang onto him, literally for dear life, as they descended towards the dark green woods. She squeezed her eyes shut, until they landed in a flurry of feathers and leaves, on the soft, grassy ground, still wet from the afternoon drizzle. She found herself lying with her face to the ground, trying to recover from the shock, while her ears picked up a sharp voice close at hand.

"That's what you call landing, you useless bird?" the thief scolded, his voice lost in the frantic crows of protest coming from a winged creature dark as night, its broom-like tail still sweeping frantically at the air.

Taking a closer look, she noticed that the bird was rather small. It was a miracle that it had been able to carry the both of them so far. Looking at the thief, she realized for the first time that he appeared quite small, too. But maybe in his line of work, that trait counted as an advantage.

"Learn to fly _and_ land properly, or I shall pluck you feather by feather," the thief threatened the poor bird before calling it back. Once the creature's figure melted into a reddish light, which disappeared into the orb the thief held out in his hand, the crowing ceased, and she could feel an ominous silence settling in around them.

"Got my new suit filthy as hell," the thief grumbled, walking up to his human companion. "How am I to show myself in front of a duchess?" He extended a hand to help up the girl from the ground, and she accepted his hand once again. "Are you in one piece?" he inquired, his voice calmed and conveying no emotion.

"Yes," she said, looking down on the front of her now ruined dress with a hint of dismay.

"Tsk, what a filthy duchess you are," the thief remarked in a nasty voice, but even before she could have a chance to make a reply, he added, "Guess that makes us a fine pair, huh."

The thief gave a loud, mirthless laugh, which echoed in the abandoned woods. Night birds took flight at his voice. He never released the girl's hand as he began tugging her towards the depth of the woods, and she had no other choice but to follow.

Inside the woods, it was dark and eerie, and she was thankful that she wouldn't have to walk all on her own But then it occurred to her that the mysterious thief was the sole reason of her being there in the first place. She would never have had the courage to leave her home, her family, her destined life behind. Yet, the freedom of choice was something tempting, even if it was offered by a thief of bad reputation.

"Don't let go of my hand," the thief told her, tightening his grip around her hand. "These woods are dangerous. See those lights?"

She peered into the darkness stretching before them, and could make out small, flickering lights, swaying slightly from one place to another, beckoning and inviting.

"Those are dirty little creatures. They carry about lanterns that shine with a mesmerizing light. They make you follow them to the darkest place, then rob you of your soul."

She gave a small, scared cry as the thief suddenly turned around and pulled her closer by the hand, her forehead almost knocking onto the mask he was wearing to hide his face.

"Don't fret, Duchess. I would never let that happen to you. You are one of our kind now," he assured her, taking a step back and turning around to face forward again, resuming his walk, his cold fingers entwined with the girl's own. "However, in order to find my castle, we have to lose our way first."

"What do you mean by that?" the girl asked. Fear, suspicion, and the cold, damp night air made her shiver.

"Watch and learn the trick, fair Duchess," the thief replied, leading her onto a small bridge over a brook, "since my home shall soon be yours."

They stopped in the middle of the bridge, and the thief remained with his back to the girl, whispering a single word, "Sinister."

To his call, a small, ghastly creature crept up from under the bridge, carrying a lit lantern in its hand. She brought her free hand to her mouth to suppress a shriek, so rare was the sight of a ghost for her eyes. Her other hand was gripping the slender fingers of the thief.

"Calm down, Duchess," he told her in a voice that failed to be reassuring. "This nasty little guy is our guide to my home. To _your_ home." He turned back to the creature. "Look at this pretty face," he said, pushing the girl in front of him, so that she found herself looking into the dark eyes of the creature, which were burning viciously, like small charcoals. "This is the face you shall remember. Now, take us home."

The creature waved a small finger at him. The thief let out a sigh from behind his mask.

"Always particular about the details, huh. But I guess that makes you perfect for this job." For the first time, he released the girl's hand. "Stand behind my back, Duchess," he instructed her. "I trust you not to peek while I reveal my face to this creature. Should you glimpse what's behind my mask, I'm afraid I would have to kill you, and I'd regret that greatly."

The girl nodded in agreement to his request, but couldn't help being curious about what kind of face was hidden beneath that mask. She stood behind and watched as the thief took off his mask in front of the ghastly creature. Long raven-black strands fell to the small back, and she found herself admiring the silky lustre, while the creature nodded in approval, taking up its lantern and setting off purposefully into the dark. The thief – masked again – took her hand in his own, and they followed the light of the lantern, until they could make out other lights some distance away, but this time, those lights weren't moving.

The girl could make out the dark outline of a castle against the dark forest, some of the windows illuminated by a dim, cold light.

"My castle. Your new home," the thief gestured towards the gloomy monument, then turned to the creature who had led them there, emptying the contents of a pouch hanging from his belt and handing them to the ghost.

"For your hard work, my friend," he said, and the creature accepted what looked like a pair of small stones, then skipped towards the woods, vanishing into the dark, only the retreating light of its lantern remaining visible.

The master of the castle pushed the heavy doors in, gesturing to the girl to step inside. The interiors were dimly lit, but significantly warmer than the chilly air of the night. A small creature rushed to meet them, scurrying up to the thief's shoulder and using its soft tail, began to dust him off.

"What a warm welcome," the thief remarked, shooing the mouse-like creature away, which set to dusting off the girl instead. She couldn't help laughing a bit as the creature's tail tickled her bare arms, and was a bit surprised to hear her voice echoing off of the stone walls, sounding so free and unrestrained.

However, her small laughs soon died down as she heard the sound of stomping footsteps from the great stone staircase.

"Is that true, Raven?" a temperamental female voice demanded. "You really brought a girl with you, to _our_ secret place?"

"We need more staff to clean this trashdump, since we're both so damn busy with our jobs," the thief called Raven replied, unfazed by the sharp sapphire glare the girl sent him from behind her mask.

She came down the steps to inspect the newcomer. "Are you out of your mind, Raven?" she almost shrieked.

"Calm down, Crow," he said in a bored voice.

"How could I be calm? Even like _this_ , I can tell that she's a noble. You abducted a Duchess! Our heads are going to roll, once they start the search, and find her with us!"

The small, fox-like creature sprawled on her shoulder gave a snickering laugh.

"Stop the over-acting, Crow," Raven told her in an exasperated voice. "Save your skills for your theatrical acts."

She only huffed in reply, crossing her arms before her chest in protest.

"And so that you know, it was _her_ choice."

The girl glared back at him in evident disbelief before turning her gaze to the girl in white – now mud-stained white – again, this time scrutinizing her face. "I see," the girl said, narrowing her eyes as she stared into the golden orbs. "Is this the sole thing you brought back from your treasure-hunt?"

Raven heaved a sigh, then dumped his loaded bag on the stone floor, at her feet.

"Satisfied now, Lady Harpy?" He began walking towards a door to the right. "Where's the food? I'm starving. Our Duchess must be hungry, too."

"And does this Duchess, this new doll of yours, even have a name, I wonder?" the girl said venomously.

Raven halted his steps. It had never occurred to him to ask for a name. A real one. Since he had never given his own name, and it was only fair that way. But the girl soon spoke to answer the question, "My name is Petra."

The other girl gave a shrill, mocking laugh that made her wince. "You brought here an ordinary pebble."

Raven only rolled his eyes at her in exasperation. "I'm going up to my room. To change out of this filthy clothing. Give something clean for Petra to wear, then let's sit down to dinner."

The red-haired girl led Petra into a room full of costumes fit for a grand theatre. She stood in one spot, watching the girl pick and choose from the various dresses.

"You can wear this one, _Petra_ ," the girl finally said, tossing to her a dress with a black-and-white pattern, and a matching pair of striped stockings. The girl kept on watching her even as she changed her outfit, measuring her up with a critical gaze.

"Can you act, little Petra?" she asked in a condescending tone.

"I can learn it," she replied timidly.

"Good. From now on, your name shall be Pierette, and you are my new puppet..."


End file.
